Everything You Knew About the FAR Just Changed:
July 16, 2026 |SAME Orange County Luncheon | Cypress, CA
The AEC Blueprint for the FAR Overhaul
ABSTRACT
Everything you knew about the FAR just changed. Are you ready?
This is one of the most significant regulatory rewrites in modern history — one with far-reaching impact. And in federal contracting, getting it right isn't optional.
In this fast-paced briefing, award-winning Federal Acquisition Law instructor Melinda Milheim will show you what changed, what didn't, and what these changes mean for you and your organization. More importantly, Melinda will show you how to navigate the regulations yourself because in this quickly changing government contracting environment you need to be able to find the most up-to-date answers to the questions that come across your desk. You'll leave with a solid working knowledge of the FAR / RFO FAR, the confidence to find the answers you need, and skills that will make you better at your job immediately.
SAME Orange County July Luncheon
On the Greens at Navy Golf Course, 5660 Orangewood Ave, Cypress, CA
July 16, 2026
11:00–1:00 · $45 members / $55 non-members
Register through SAME OC
SPEAKER BIO
Melinda Milheim, co-founder of Phoenix Canyon, brings a rare blend of legal training, acquisition expertise, and award-winning instruction to every class she teaches. Across her career she has worked every side of the federal contracting equation — military, government, contractor, and consultant — a perspective few instructors can match. She earned her law degree, served as a Contract Specialist and COR for the U.S. Navy and the Department of Health and Human Services / Indian Health Service, and worked on more than $7.7 billion in complex federal contracts spanning construction, engineering, and major weapons programs — including fighter jet contracts. She later specialized in construction contract audits and compliance at one of the nation's largest consulting firms. Today, as an award-winning Federal Acquisition Instructor, Melinda turns the ever-changing GovCon environment into something approachable, practical, and genuinely engaging — giving professionals the clarity and confidence to protect their firms and themselves as they put the new rules to work.
